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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce

Hotel, retail, restaurants — arriving soon

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More retail, and a Hyatt hotel, are coming to Cypress Creek Town Center, even as other new shops and restaurants are opening for business.

Along Sierra Center Boulevard, Mellow Mushroom, Great Clips, Mattress One, Men’s Wearhouse and Aspen Dental are open for business. Noire Nail Bar will soon open its doors, too.

Great Clips, Men’s Wearhouse, Noire Nail Bar, T-Mobile and Mellow Mushroom are storefronts in a small retail center at Cypress Creek Town Center. (Kathy Steele)

To the east, Chuy’s Tex Mex is headed to a spring opening, according to a news release from the national chain.

Next door, Bahama Breeze Island Grille is under construction.

A 132-room Hyatt Place hotel and convention center will open in July at the Cypress Creek Town Center, said Dilip Kanji, president and chief executive officer of Impact Properties Inc.

There is a lot of demand for hotels in the Wesley Chapel area, but Kanji said, “There’s not a lot of choices.”

The growth in the area is what attracted Impact Properties to build there.

“Pasco County is the fastest-growing county in the southeastern United States,” he said. “We typically prefer to get in when there are (more) spaces for growth.”

Kanji said the selection for prime locations narrows as more development happens.

At Cypress Creek Town Center, the hotel is situated at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange with immediate access also to Florida Hospital Center Ice and Tampa Premium Outlets.

Hyatt Place Hotel will open in July at the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Sierra Properties’ plans to build a 330,000-square-foot shopping center within the town center also was a draw, Kanji added.

Cypress Creek Town Center is approved for up to 2 million square feet of retail, hotel, apartments and offices, according to county records.

In the past year, new restaurants have opened at the town center along Sierra Center Boulevard, which leads to the Hyatt property. There is Ford’s Garage, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Pollo Tropical.

Other shops anticipated including Pet Smart and Burlington Coat Factory.

Kanji provided a list of other anticipated retail in the 330,000-square-foot project when he spoke at a luncheon, sponsored by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (renamed the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce).

Kanji said he had permission to release the store’s names, which include Chipotle Mexican Grill, HomeGoods, Earth Fare, Hobby Lobby, Walk-on Bistreaux & Bar, and Blaze Pizza.

Kanji said he expected permitting as soon as April.

Spokespersons for the stores either didn’t respond to emails from The Laker/Lutz News, or wouldn’t confirm their plans.

  • Chipotle Mexican Grill is a Denver-based fast-casual restaurant founded in 1993. Menu items include burritos, bowls, tacos and salads, made to order. There are more than 2,200 Chipotle’s nationwide.
  • Earth Fare is a North Carolina-based specialty grocery store offering organic and natural foods. It has about 45 locations. Most are in the southeast and Midwest.
  • HomeGoods is a discount home furnishing store, based in Massachusetts. It is part of the family of TJX Companies Inc., which includes TJ Maxx.
  • Hobby Lobby is a family owned arts and crafts store that also sells picture frames, jewelry-making items, fabrics, and floral and wedding supplies. Founded in 1972 in Oklahoma City, there now are more than 800 stores in 47 states.
  • Walk-on Bistreaux & Bar is a New Orleans-based sports bar founded by Brandon Landry and Jack Warner. The business partners met in 1997 when they were walk-ons to the Louisiana State University’s basketball team. They opened their first location near LSU’s Tiger Stadium. Today, the company is co-owned by New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees.
  • Blaze Pizza is a California-based fast-casual restaurant founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel of Wetzels Pretzels. Similar to Chipotle, customers select the ingredients for their made-to-order, fresh-from-scratch pizzas.

Published March 14, 2018

North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce makes debut

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A new chamber came into view last summer with the merger of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Now a new name is representing the combined chambers, which will now be known as the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, according to an email sent to chamber members from Zack Kalarickal, the chamber’s board chairman.

Zack Kalarickal, chairman of the board of directors for North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce

The name brings “renewed focus on the broader geography that is home to those we serve and consistent with the momentum of this evolving community,” the email states.

National and international businesses are seeking to invest in Pasco County’s growth, and the new name provides “a readily identifiable location,” as well as describing the inclusive nature of the merged chamber, according to the email.

The North Tampa Bay chamber has about 830 members and is the largest in Pasco County. It serves Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Trinity, Odessa and New Port Richey.

“We happen to be in a great part of the county with so much dynamic growth,” said Kalarickal, a dentist and owner of Wesley Chapel Dentistry.

The North Tampa Bay name acknowledges that growth, but Kalarickal said the chamber will “co-brand” the uniqueness of every community within its membership.

In his email, he cites the long history of Wesley Chapel and its chamber, which began in 1998 with only a small group of business owners.

It had grown in recent years to nearly 600 members prior to merging with the Greater Pasco chamber in July.

In January, the chamber moved to a new location at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A. The office is in the Highland Oaks Medical Center, off State Road 54.

In the next months, more transition work is needed, Kalarickal said.

The board of directors went from 17 to 24 members.

A day-long planning session was held to discuss an overall strategic plan. Standing committees were formed.

And, North Tampa Bay members were invited to participate in a logo design contest. The winning entry will be announced on March 8.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 994-8534.

Published February 7, 2018

Chambers on the move

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The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce each now have new homes.

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce moved into Suite A at the Highland Oaks Medical Center, at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd. (Kathy Steele)

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is settling into its new location at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A. The office is in the Highland Oaks Medical Center, off State Road 54, in Lutz.

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce has a new address in Harbour Village, at 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 16, in Lutz. Chamber officials expected that move to be accomplished over the weekend of Jan. 13.

In addition to setting up shop in a new space, the Central Pasco Chamber also has promoted Suzanne Beauchaine to become its new executive director.

Beauchaine previously served as the chamber’s marketing and membership director.

David Gainer, the chamber’s president, praised Beauchaine for adding 90 new businesses to the chamber’s roster in the past year.

Hope Allen is the president and CEO of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. (File)

“It is a pleasure to recognize Suzanne for her diligence, commitment to excellence and her professionalism, by naming her our new executive director,” Gainer said, in a written statement.

The Wesley Chapel chamber opened its new office on Jan. 2, after vacating its former office at The Grove at Wesley Chapel.

The lease at the mall expired, and it was obvious a roomier site was needed.

“We had been looking. We had grown out of our space,” said Hope Allen, the chamber’s president and CEO. “We couldn’t even hold our board meetings at the (former) chamber.”

The Wesley Chapel chamber merged last year with The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce — creating the largest chamber in Pasco County.

In recent months, chamber officials have been working on merger details, including a new name for the chamber.

A task force is working on recommendations, but the membership will make the final decision, Allen said.

Allen said she had some trepidation about the move, and how visible the office would be.

But, the compliments rolled in, as members stopped by for visits, she said.

“Traffic grew. It tripled and quadrupled from the other location,” Allen said. “The whole place is beautiful.”

Suzanne Beauchaine is the new executive director of The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. (File)

The approximately 3,500 square foot office space is large enough that the chamber plans to sublet space to four businesses. There will be a certified public accountant, an architect, two financial planners and a Realtor, said Allen.

The names of the companies will be announced soon.

A ribbon cutting for the chamber is being planned for March.

“We’re excited to have a place where we can grow and be centrally located for our businesses,” Allen said.

As the Central Pasco Chamber’s new president, Beauchaine expressed enthusiasm for her role at the chamber.

“It’s very rewarding to help bring business owners together, and see their relationships grow and prosper,” Beauchaine said, in a written release.

Before joining The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Beauchaine was an account manager at The Laker/Lutz News for about three years.

She also owned a business in Lutz for five years, and has worked in retail and office management.

Her husband, Gary Beauchaine, is a small business owner and a member of the Central Pasco chamber.

The couple has two adult daughters who are area residents.

For more information about The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, call the chamber at (813) 994-8534, or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.

For more information about The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, call (813) 909-2722, or visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

Revised January 17, 2018

Pasco’s tourism director wants to take a new approach

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Adam Thomas envisions Pasco County becoming one of Florida’s “must-see” tourism destinations.

Aside from mostly pleasant weather, the county lays its claim to bountiful ecotourism, miles of bike trails, premier multipurpose sports facilities — as well as beaches and resorts.

“We have a lot of opportunities,” said Thomas, who is Pasco’s newest tourism director.

“Our destination is really primed for success in the future, and ready for success now. We have a lot of key attractions and key different segments in tourism right here…”

Thomas, 38, started his $82,000-a-year job in September.

New Pasco County tourism director Adam Thomas shared his vision during a Nov. 8 luncheon hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. He began the job in September. (Kevin Weiss)

He shared his vision for Pasco County’s Office of Tourism Development — which is known as Visit Pasco — during a Nov. 8 luncheon hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

He expressed confidence in the county’s tourism offerings, but he said the county’s current strategy “lacks an identity.”

“Not one person can identify what our brand is, as a tourism destination,” Thomas told chamber members and county stakeholders gathered at the Fox Hollow Golf Club.

Thomas needs to develop a brand strategy that highlights the county’s assets and create a business model that attracts not just locals, but also resonates with people “50 miles and beyond.”

He noted he has considerable work to do to attract visitors that will produce economic impact over the course of the year.

Most recently, Thomas served as director of the Citrus County Visitor’s Bureau, since 2013. Before that, he was a minor league baseball player, a career that spanned more than a decade, and took him to three continents and countless cities across the United States.

Thomas replaced Doug Traub, who left after just three months on the job as the county’s first tourism director. Traub arrived in Pasco from Lake Havasu, Arizona, where he was the chief executive officer of the visitor and tourism bureau.

Pasco County previously had a tourism manager position, but the director’s job expands on those duties to handle long-range strategic goals.

In Citrus County, Thomas said tourism generated $11.7 million in sales taxes in 2016, ultimately saving each county household about $197 on taxes that year.

“Something that I love about our industry is that it’s no tax burden on the citizens in their household, but it’s providing economic sustainability,” Thomas said.

Duplicating results for Pasco, he said, starts with auditing each event and festival coordinated by his office — to determine whether or not they drive hotel room nights and create an economic impact that “brings the highest yield of investment.”

Thomas noted Visit Pasco last year spent $285,000 on local events and festivals, and $160,000 on tourism advertising initiatives.

He questioned whether those local events — such as the Pasco County Fair in Dade City and the Chasco Fiesta in New Port Richey — actually entice tourists and nonresidents.

“On an annual basis, we’re spending more money on local events and festivals than we actually do marketing the destination,” he said. “We have to take a look at the bigger picture.”

The tourism director also panned the economic model for the Dick’s Sporting Good Tournament of Champions in Wesley Chapel, a youth lacrosse showcase that draws more than 50 teams from more than a dozen states, as well as Canada. The three-day event has been held in the county each year since 2008.

Thomas pointed out the county spent a combined $694,000 on the three-day event over the last seven years alone.

“That’s a $94,000 (annual) bill for us, with 80 percent of the rooms going to Tampa. Is that a good business decision?” he asked.

“It’s really not all about heads and beds. It’s about getting the right event or the right audience in our destination to create the highest economic impact and the highest visitor expenditure. That’s going to offset costs, again, to the local community in the sales tax,” he said.

He also detailed some of his long-term ideas.

He said he wants to lure more small conferences and trade associations — with various incentive packages — to places such as Saddlebrook Resort & Spa and the forthcoming Wiregrass Sports Complex, both of which offer thousands of square feet of meeting space, along with numerous recreation opportunities.

“These are small, little initiatives that can really make an impact to the entire community,” Thomas said.

He also wants to popularize scallop harvesting in west Pasco, with the approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Scalloping was a draw for traveling families in Citrus County between June and September, he said.

Drawing other profitable sporting events and fishing tournaments are definite possibilities, too.

Elsewhere, Thomas wants to furnish interactive kiosks and mobile video displays to promote the county at events and trade shows. He noted other communities have introduced digital billboards, videos and virtual reality to portray their respective various tourist attractions.

“There’s a lot of things our office hasn’t been doing in the past that we need to be doing moving forward,” he said. “We’re behind the eight-ball a little bit…”

Meanwhile, Thomas plans to completely rebrand “Visit Pasco” during the next several months.

He plans to have a consulting firm in place by January to help with new branding, as well as marketing efforts.

The process could take anywhere from six months to eight months, he said.

“We first have to identify who our target audience is…and we have to do that through a brand and research strategy where a firm comes in and works directly with our events holders, our properties, to actually find out who’s coming here and why,” he explained.

“We have some really key attractions, but it’s all going to be a part of the brand umbrella,” Thomas said.

Whatever slogan is selected, Thomas wants Pasco to identify as an entirely separate entity from Tampa — not merely an extension of it.

“We want to pull ourselves away from Tampa,” he said, “and the only way we’re going to be able to do that is with the brand strategy to be a standalone competing destination for it.

“We don’t want to be a room night, a day trip from Tampa into Pasco. We don’t want to be a bedroom community to Tampa,” Thomas said.

Thomas and his staff of two will have a budget based on the recent doubling of Pasco’s tourism tax, to 4 percent from 2 percent.

The surcharge on overnight hotel stays and other short-term rentals had remained at 2 percent for 26 years, until August.

Pasco officials estimate the additional 2 percent tourism tax will generate an additional $1.2 million in fiscal 2018, which began Oct. 11.

Published November 15, 2017

Outlining a road map to tackle Pasco traffic problems

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Pasco County’s residential and commercial growth is causing more traffic headaches on the area’s roads.

At an Aug. 21 session, residents had a chance to learn about what’s planned to tackle the area’s congestion during The Pasco County Transportation Summit.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore hosted the event at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus, in Wesley Chapel.

A project that would ease traffic congestion on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, also known as County Road 54, is scheduled in fiscal year 2018. Planning calls for widening the road from two lanes to four lanes, from State Road 54/56 to Progress Parkway. (B.C. Manion)

Other panelists included David Gwynn, District 7 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation; Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles; and, Hope Allen, chief executive officer and president of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, which recently merged with The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting focused on project updates for east Pasco and Wesley Chapel.

Audience members submitted written questions to the panel.

Their queries centered on current and future road projects; public transit; new technology, such as self-driving vehicles; and, passenger rail on CSX rail lines.

Charity Henesy-Brooks, who lives in the Meadow Pointe subdivision, said she came away with information she didn’t know before. “It’s good to know they are trying to get ahead of the (traffic) problem,” she said. “At least they have these goals.”

For Moore, the basic issue is how to build the right infrastructure to support economic development and meet residents’ needs.

Anyone who drives in the county knows the frustration of long waits in traffic, he said. “Relief is on the way. There are a lot of things on the way, but these things won’t come to fruition over night.”

At least one project has been sped up.

Construction of the diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 will begin in 2018, about two years ahead of an initial start date. The unique engineering pattern eliminates left turns and most traffic signals, to quicken, and ease, traffic flow.

The interchange is at the epicenter of a growth boom in Wesley Chapel that includes Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center.

“It’s miserable. I get it,” said Moore. “I’m with you.”

Bilirakis said local governments will have federal funding available for their transportation projects.

President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of $1 trillion in shovel-ready infrastructure projects. Congress is waiting on a specific proposal from the White House, Bilirakis said.

“The infrastructure piece is very much alive,” he said. “It’s a priority for the President, and it’s a priority for us in Congress. It’s a bipartisan effort and, God knows, we need that today.”

Bilirakis said he expected Congress to address tax reform early in 2018, and “then, we’re going to get to infrastructure.”

He also said the Ridge Road extension will benefit from an expedited review process implemented by the White House.

Pasco has lobbied for the extension for nearly 19 years as a necessary east-west road for hurricane evacuations. A permit is needed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Environmentalists have opposed the project, which would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. But, Bilirakis said, “We’re really moving the ball forward on this project.”

Lots of projects are on the horizon
The state department of transportation currently has a slate of road projects under construction, in design or in planning. In the past five years, the state agency has invested more than $640 million in Pasco, Gwynn said.

By late 2017, work on widening Interstate 75 from four lanes to six lanes from County Road 54 to State Road 52 will be completed, along with a redesign of the interchange.

To the west of I-75, work to widen State Road 52 from two lanes to four lanes, from Bellamy Brothers Boulevard to Old Pasco Road, will be done by summer 2018.

State Road 54 from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road will go from two lanes to four lanes by fall 2020. A shared use path and sidewalks also will be built.

Work recently began on a four-lane extension of State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills. Completion is scheduled by spring 2019.

Two projects are in design and scheduled to begin in 2019. One will widen State Road 52 from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41, with a shared use path.

A second will realign State Road 52 from Uradco Place to West Fort King Road. A new four-lane road will run from Uradco Place to Prospect Road. From Prospect to Fort King, the existing road will widen from two lanes to four lanes.

A third project, with no construction start date, would widen State Road 52 from two lanes to four lanes from U.S. 41 to west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

There are two unfunded projects in design stages that would both realign and widen Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Bicycle lanes and sidewalks are being designed for County Line Road from Northwood Palms to west of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2018.

Also, planning is underway on two projects to widen U.S. 301 from Fowler Avenue to State Road 56, and from State Road 56 to State Road 39.

A major reconstruction of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection is on hold while a local task force reviews options and makes a recommendation to the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Pasco has 48 road projects slated from 2017 to 2021 at an estimated cost of about $426 million. Almost all will be in east and central Pasco, Biles said.

The county will fund about half the cost, with the remainder coming from state and local funds, he said.

The expansion of Wesley Chapel Boulevard from State Road 54 to Progress Parkway, from two lanes to four lanes, is scheduled in fiscal year 2018. Sierra Properties, which is developing Cypress Creek Town Center, completed the initial segment of the project, and built an entrance into the mall from the boulevard.

In addition to increasing road capacity, the county is exploring options with new technology. For instance, adaptive traffic signals can be adjusted based on real-time conditions monitored via cameras a centralized command post.

This technology is being used in some areas of U.S. 19, and Biles anticipates that in the next five years it would be installed along other roadways.

Bilirakis is a fan of self-driving vehicles, which is an evolving technology. He is supporting federal legislation to ensure that such vehicles are adaptable to needs of seniors and disabled veterans.

The Congressman also agreed that partnerships with Uber and Lyft can enhance public transit by helping people reach bus stops.

Self-driving vehicles appeal to Land O’ Lakes resident Kelly Smith as a means of providing ride-sharing opportunities.

That would get more vehicles off the roads and lessen the need for parking, and potentially mean fewer roads would be needed, she said.

But, Smith, who is running against Moore for a seat on the Pasco County Commission, said, “I’m concerned that we’re not looking into the future.”

In response to a question about buying CSX rail lines for passenger service, Moore said he favors rapid bus transit.

“CSX does not give their lines away,” he said. “It’s very costly. Bus transit is more economical.”

Published August 30, 2017

Transportation summit takes big picture view

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The daily grind of transportation snarls, and the glacial flow of vehicles at rush hours never seems to have any quick fixes.

But, a transportation summit at Pasco-Hernando State College will give residents a chance to get a big picture view of projects – current and future – that could ease the traffic burdens.

The summit will bring federal, state and local officials together to discuss what’s already happening, what’s in the pipeline, and what’s on someone’s drawing board.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, and The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host the event.

“There’s a lot of information out there from what is happening to what will happen in the future,” said Moore.

But, instead of people “pulling bits and pieces” from different sources, Moore said the summit will provide a single platform to tie everything together.

Much of the focus will be on transportation issues in East Pasco and Central Pasco. However, Moore added, “We’re bringing as much information as we can in one night, that will answer a lot of questions and explain how things are going.”

Dwight Gwynn, the secretary for District 7 of the Florida Department of Transportation, will be on hand to address the state’s transportation projects.

Bilirakis in particular can offer insights into potential federal funding for transportation.

“I want to really hear from the audience with regard to projects at the federal level,” Bilirakis said. “I want to advocate on their behalf.”

Residents can ask questions, but Bilirakis also said, “I want people to be informed.”

Some issues that will be addressed are the recent traffic delays due to errant crossing arms at CSX rail lines at State Road 54, the Ridge Road extension, the diverging diamond at Interstate 75 and State Road 56, and a bill that Bilirakis supports on self-driving vehicles.

He has proposed an amendment to bolster efforts to accommodate seniors and disabled individuals in the design of these vehicles.

Bilirakis anticipates Congress will begin work in committee on an infrastructure bill by the end of the year. He expects this bill to have bipartisan support.

“There’s got to be some certainty with this, and long-term stable funding from the federal level,” Bilirakis said. “It’s something we can agree on.”

The Wesley Chapel area is among the fastest growing in the country, which is putting pressure on infrastructure, he added.

“It really is the No. 1 issue in this area,” Bilirakis said. “I want to address it.”

What: Transportation summit
When: Aug. 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Pasco-Hernando State College, Porter Campus, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Cost: Free
Details: Hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore and The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce

Published August 16, 2017

Atmosphere is upbeat on teacher move-in day

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Volunteers and teachers were busy on teacher move-in day last week at Cypress Creek Middle High School.

Pasco County School Board members, the superintendent of schools, Rotary Club members, members of The Greater Wesley Chamber of Commerce, the Pasco Education Foundation and other community volunteers joined in with teachers to help them get ready for Day 1 at the new school at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

They hauled boxes from the parking lot.

Cypress Creek teacher Jenny Burton was busy last week, unpacking and storing supplies for her middle school art classes. She is thrilled with both the size of her classroom and the supplies she has to work with. (B.C. Manion)

They pushed carts down corridors filled with classroom stuff.

They stood in line, awaiting the elevator to carry their load to the second floor.

They unpacked boxes. Put together bookcases. They stamped books and put away supplies.

Some teachers began decorating the walls in their classrooms, adding their personal touch.

They were working, but there was a friendly banter. The atmosphere was upbeat, with an undeniable sense of excitement in the air.

Jenny Burton, a middle school art teacher, is thrilled to be teaching at Cypress Creek.

“This is like absolute heaven,” Burton said, as she organized her art supplies.

“I’ve never worked in a space like this before. I’ve worked in rooms that were a quarter of this size,” she said.

She’s also impressed by the supplies that have been provided for her class and can’t wait to begin working with her students to find out which materials they’ve used before, and which ones will be new to them.

Her next-door neighbor is Sara Connolly, a middle school social studies teacher.

First-year teacher Sara Connolly wants to bring her social studies lessons to life for her students. She’s already chosen a playlist for the first day of school, featuring music from different eras of American life.

“I want kids to realize that history is not just a book, and it’s not just someone standing up and lecturing to you, and memorizing a bunch of dates,” said Connolly, a first-year teacher, whose mother is a retired teacher and whose father teaches at Land O’ Lakes High School.

She’s been preparing for that first day.

“I already have a playlist set up of American historical music through the ages,” she said, noting the students will hear snippets of American Colonial music, the Civil War, the jazz age and other eras.

She’s also planning to have students break into teams on that day, to do a scavenger hunt in the classroom.

Burton and Connolly are already thinking about ways the two of them can collaborate to do cross-curricular lessons.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Dani Sauerwein who teaches sixth-grade language arts is equally enthusiastic about the new school year.

“It’s always exciting for a new school year to start, but this is just a whole new level of excitement,” she said, noting she’s thrilled to be part of the team opening a new school.

“We’re trying to create a community,” Sauerwein said.

She also expressed gratitude for the volunteers who were at the school, helping teachers get set up for the new year.

“Honestly, I could not do it without them. This would have taken 10 times longer if it weren’t for everyone who came out to help,” she said.

The value of such volunteer efforts goes beyond the benefit of providing help with the physical labor, said Colleen Beaudoin, a school board member.

The interactions can help build community spirit and foster greater understanding, she said.

“A lot of community members want to help, but they don’t really know what’s needed,” said Beaudoin, who was there volunteering alongside her 14-year-old son, Bryce.

When members of the community spend time inside schools, they gain greater insights into what’s needed or desired, and they can help school personnel connect with resources available through businesses or organizations, Beaudoin said.

“Sometimes, I think, that is that missing link — that connection,” the school board member said.

Published August 2, 2017

Japanese investment focus of roundtable

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On a map of Florida, more than 18 Japanese-owned companies are pinpointed across the state.

South Florida has the most, with only a handful scattered in central and northeastern cities, including the port city of Jacksonville.

Noticeably blank is Florida’s central west coast, including Pasco County.

“I think there has not been much of a connection,” said Japan’s Consul General Ken Okaniwa. “Maybe there is a need to promote yourselves more.”

Japan’s Consul General Ken Okaniwa, left, spoke at a business roundtable at Saddlebrook Golf Resort & Spa. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce hosted the event. (Courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

Pasco business leaders and county officials will get that chance at the 40th annual Southeast U.S./Japan Joint Meeting from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24, in Greenville, South Carolina.

Representatives from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee will participate.

“We want to bring it (trade meeting) to Pasco County in a couple of years,” said Okaniwa. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to create more jobs.”

Encouraging dialogue about more Japanese trade, investment and tourism in Florida is one of the functions of the Japanese consulate, located in Miami.

On July 17, Okaniwa met with more than 20 Pasco County business and community leaders for a business roundtable at Saddlebrook Golf Resort & Spa. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event.

Okaniwa outlined Japan’s economic ties with Florida in a PowerPoint presentation.

  • Japan is the state’s largest investor, with more than $4 billion invested in plants and equipment
  • Japan is Florida’s fourth largest trade partner (combined export and imports)
  • Japan is the largest importer of Florida grapefruit in the world
  • About 278,000 Japanese tourists visit Florida annually, with Disney World the top destination

And, Okaniwa said more than 190 Japanese-owned companies provided about 24,000 jobs in the state, as of 2014.

“The number has been growing,” he added.

Japanese economic and business focus is on six areas, including driverless vehicles, renewable energy, robotics and medical services, especially regenerative medicine.

Okaniwa said Japan investors were involved in “smart city” projects in Orlando and Miami.

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, suggested that Okaniwa reach out to Metro Development Group, which is developing in the Connected City corridor in northeastern Pasco. Cronin plans to attend the trade meeting in South Carolina along with others representing Pasco.

Developers with Metro are building a master-planned community with state-of-the-art technology, including fast Internet connections, driverless vehicles, and tele-medicine.

“It’s truly a live, work, play environment,” Cronin said.

Le Meridian-Autonomous is negotiating with Metro to provide driverless buses for the community, said Ed Franco, the company’s chief innovation lead.

The company has sold buses to Disney, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and recently a 300-bus order to Taiwan.

Franco also is chief executive officer of Turin Aviation Group, located at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The company provides aircraft maintenance services and unmanned aerial system drones.

“Pasco County is very innovative,” Bilirakis told Okaniwa, who took notes of questions and ideas raised at the roundtable discussion.

John Yo is interested in developing senior living communities. He is managing director for Good Life EB5 Advisors Inc. His company recently opened two facilities in Georgia.

His wife, Julie Yo, is a ReMax Realtor in Lutz. The couple, who live in New Tampa, would like to find locations in Pasco for future senior-living projects. There is a need here, said John Yo.

“It’s a growing (industry),” he added.

The couple, both South Korean natives, said they would like to see direct flights from Japan to Tampa.

Tampa International Airport doesn’t yet have such flights, but there is a Japanese connection.

On the same day as the roundtable, Gov. Rick Scott and representatives of Mitsubishi attended the delivery of train cars for the airport’s innovative people-mover shuttle.

Bilirakis had one last idea to toss out at the conclusion of the roundtable.

Japan and Pasco should work together to bring Japanese baseball teams to the county for spring training, he said.

Okaniwa quickly jotted that on his pad.

“I’ll look into that,” he said.

For information on Japan and trade, visit Jetro.go.jp/en/invest/.

Published July 26, 2017

Merger yields largest chamber in Pasco

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The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce have merged to create the largest chamber in Pasco County.

Mike Cox, chairman of the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce; and Hope Allen, president and chief executive officer of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, shake hands on a deal to merge their chambers.
(Courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

The new chamber has more than 860 members, and it is growing. Wesley Chapel contributed about 615 members in the merger, and Greater Pasco nearly 250 members.

The first event of the merged chambers will be a Final Friday mixer on July 28 at the Cheval Golf and Athletic Club, in Tampa.

A consolidation resolution received approval in mid-June from the chambers’ board members.

The merger was announced on June 28 at a press conference at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Land O’ Lakes High School. Hope Allen, president and chief executive officer of the Wesley Chapel chamber; Michael Cox, chairman of the Greater Pasco chamber; Bill Cronin, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council; and, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore were among those who attended.

Allen will assume leadership duties of the new chamber.

“I don’t have a crystal ball on what the impact will be, but we hope our impact is to be the voice of the business community,” said Allen. “We can speak with one voice, one very large voice.”

The merger follows a decision in January to sign an affiliation agreement to allow members to join both chambers at discounted fees.

“That’s what got us working together,” said Cox. “We realized it was well-received by our members.”

Bill Cronin, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council, left; Jennifer Cofini, chairwoman of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors; Hope Allen, president and chief executive officer of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce; Mike Cox, chairman of the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce; and Mike Moore, chairman of the Pasco County Commission, had a press conference to announce the merger of the Wesley Chapel and Greater Pasco chambers.

It’s been a natural progression since January, said Allen.

“We were officially courting,” she said. “We were engaged and now we’re married, blending our two families.”

The new chamber and the Pasco EDC can complement one another in supporting the business community, Cox said.

Pasco EDC is a nonprofit that works with Pasco government to create jobs and attract targeted industries to locate or expand in the county.

“The chamber really picks up where the (Pasco) EDC leaves off,” Cox said. “There are a lot of businesses that aren’t targeted industries, but they are vital to our local economy.”

Some details remain to be worked out on the merger, including the new chamber’s name.

A marketing consultant will be hired to do research and gather public input on the name selection. Issues to be sorted out include names related to the geography of the new chamber, but also the Wesley Chapel branding already in place.

“We want to make sure it is a very well thought-out process,” said Allen. “We want to do it right.”

Members will be able to vote on the matter, she said.

A task force initially created to explore the merger will continue to operate until December. Task force members will aid in working through transition details as the merger proceeds.

According to the consolidation resolution, the board of directors will expand from 17 to as many as 24 members, with five to seven members from Greater Pasco added to the board.

The Lutz office of the Greater Pasco chamber will stay open for now. If needed, a new location will be found in Trinity, Odessa or Lutz.

What: Final Friday mixer for chamber members
When: July 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Prime 19 @ Cheval Golf and Athletic Club, 4312 Cheval Blvd., Tampa
Cost: Free
Information: Call Wesley Chapel chamber at (813) 994-8534, or email

Published July 12, 2017

Wiregrass sports complex expected to open in 2019

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The Wiregrass Sports Complex of Pasco County could be open as soon as spring 2019, Richard Blalock, chief executive officer of RADD Sports said last week.

The sports management and development company anticipates finalizing agreements with Pasco County by August. The construction of the 98,000-square-foot indoor sports complex is expected to take 18 months, though Blalock is hopeful it can be done within 14 months.

Richard Blalock, chief executive officer of RADD Sports
(File)

Blalock and Anthony Homer, the company’s vice president of development, gave an update on the project at the monthly economic briefing luncheon hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce on May 25.

Work already is underway to line up events, sports leagues and coaches for a facility that will operate on Monday through Thursday as a community-based sports center, Blalock said.

Weekends will be set aside to host tournaments, competitions and other events that will generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county, he said.

“We’re not sitting back waiting,” he said. “We’re in the community actively engaging. When the doors open, we want to be running and generating,” Blalock added.

For instance, Blalock plans to meet with the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The focus will be on involving youth from the community in as many sporting opportunities as possible, he said.

A minor league system for youth ages 9 through 18 will be organized for cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, soccer and lacrosse. Participants will be required to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 grade average.

A prep level will be available for youths, ages 5 through 8.

But, sports won’t be the only skill taught.

“We want to develop these kids not only as athletes, but as citizens,” Blalock said.

For youth that don’t want to actively participate in a sport, Blalock said they would have opportunities to join a Coach’s Club or Elite Manager’s Club, to learn skills such as scorekeeping, officiating and team management.

For elite athletes who are being recruited, RADD Sports will help with media technology, such as webcasts, to showcase their talents.

The Pasco County Commission agreed in April to negotiate with RADD Sports for the $25 million sports complex. About $15 million to $17 million in funding will be from a bank loan, secured with a proposed 2 percent increase in the county’s tourism tax. Nearly $11 million is from previously pledged tourism dollars, and sales tax revenues.

County commissioners must approve an ordinance to increase the tourism tax.

Projections for sports events and revenues include:

  • 27,000 visitors per night per year
  • 12,000 visitors who come for the day
  • $6.5 million annual economic impact
  • $8 million or more in sales and use taxes in 10 years (not including tourism tax)

Over 10 years, RADD Sports officials project $100 million in accumulated direct economic impact for the county.

The facility will be able to host sporting and recreational activities, including basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, dancing, wrestling, gymnastics, curling and badminton.

Plans also call for seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground.

An $18.5 million, 120-room hotel is planned on land donated years ago by the Porter family – developers of Wiregrass Ranch and The Shops at Wiregrass.

Sports tourism is proving to be a successful generator of revenues for local communities, Homer said.

On average, each visitor spends about $208 a day, he said.

There is a multiplier effect, however, when families come together to youth sports events. “They make a whole weekend out of it,” Homer said.

RADD Sports plans to follow the Disney model for sports event registrations. The hotel room is part of the registration process, he said.

And, when the on-site hotel is full, other area hotels are included, Homer added.

RADD Sports wants to create a “constant churn” of events. “We want them to come back, six, seven, eight times a year,” he said.

Published May 31, 2017